![\"biodiversity_palau_island_polynesia\"](\"http:\/\/www.cawater-info.net\/all_about_water\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/biodiversity_palau_island_polynesia.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe p\u00e1ramo of the Northern Andes is wet and cold. Temperatures can dip below freezing at night and soar above 60 degrees Farenheit during the day. But Daniel Ruiz Carrascal doesn\u2019t mind the extremes. He goes back to this ecosystem any chance he gets, to study how the environment is changing.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, in the high-altitude ecosystems of the Andes, climate change is already underway,\u201d says Ruiz, a graduate research assistant at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society, and an associate professor at the School of Engineering in Antioquia, Colombia. \u201cWe\u2019ve already seen higher temperatures, increased evaporation and less snow relative to rainfall. This warmer and drier climate stresses plants and forces fauna and flora species to climb to higher ground. If the changes continue, some species could become extinct.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c The p\u00e1ramo is the primary water source for the Andean lowlands. It acts as a spongy holding area for glacial meltwater, steadily releasing throughout the dry season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ruiz and his research colleagues in Colombia have monitored the p\u00e1ramo ecosystems since 2004, measuring changes in air circulation patterns, biodiversity, the number of wildfires, and surface water supply.<\/p>\n
The p\u00e1ramo is home to nearly 5,000 plant species. More than 3,000 exist nowhere else on the planet. They have evolved the ability to withstand strong winds, dramatic temperature changes, low atmospheric pressure, and intense ultraviolet radiation. Uniquely adapted to these conditions, these species are highly vulnerable to climatic change.<\/p>\n